Final Reflections on My Internship Experience

Well, the time has finally arrived: it is my last week in Prague. It seems unreal to me still that I will be leaving this Saturday. I almost feel like I will just be going on holiday and soon return to Prague afterwards. I absolutely loved my time here. I truly feel that I have developed myself personally and professionally, and it is all thanks to my internship placement. After completing this internship, I feel more confident about my future career path, and I have learned far more than I ever could have imagined. So, here is a recap of my internship:

As my blog has suggested, I completed my internship in a recruitment agency called Grafton Recruitment. Grafton operates in 6 countries across Europe and is a leader in its industry. This statement alone has made me feel proud to be a part of this team.

I currently am a Team Assistant in the Business Services Branch in Prague. Our branch specializes in finding candidates for various multilingual positions. Though I shared the title of “Team Assisant” with two other co-workers, my role in the Business Services Branch was very different from theirs. One of my favorite aspects about my internship was the fact that my role on the team was very dynamic. My position held lots of various responsibilities, and I was exposed to so many new concepts and tasks each day.

To highlight a good chunk of my responsibilities, here is a list of what I accomplished during my time at Grafton Recruitment:

Recreated e-mail templates for the current pre-screening process

Edited and updated the current expatriate presentation for candidates

Wrote a company services summary that would be given to candidates to allow them to better understand our branch

Gave Business Services Branch feedback, comments, and suggestions for improving their current pre-screening process

Researched and conducted an analysis of the top competitors of Grafton Recruitment in the Czech Republic

Sourced for candidates via LinkedIn

Prepared presentations on competitors and HR trends and presented my findings to Business Services Branch

Wrote articles in English for Grafton’s candidate and student journals

Edited and reviewed each consultant’s job advertisement and held a meeting with each consultant to review the feedback

Attended a client meeting regarding new and current open positions

I could not resist the urge to write in list format since I am presently editing job advertisements where lists are frequently found. Writing all of my tasks down in a list actually seemed daunting to think that I did all of that, but through all of these I have learned so much. Each task has been able to challenge me and promote my professional growth. I never felt too overwhelmed or alone when I was completing these tasks in the moment, too, because my team was always there to support me.

Right from the start, I have never met a more warm and welcoming group of people other than my own team in Business Services. (I also partially say this because a stereotype of Czech people is that they are cold and reserved, which was the exact opposite in this case.) They were all friendly and kind, and I will say that they were a huge reason why I enjoyed going to work each and every day. I mean this, too. They always kept me laughing, supported me when I felt overwhelmed, and, most importantly, they offered me great pieces of life advice that will stick with me for a long time.

I am sad to leave this incredible team, as I truly look up to each of them. I am amazed at how much fun they can have while still managing to be extremely efficient and productive in their work, and I constantly have felt thankful to be a part of their team each day that I have been here. I never thought that I would leave Prague and miss my internship the most, but this alone shows how much they all have impacted me. Even more, I have been inspired to apply for and look for jobs in recruitment in the U.S. since they have opened my eyes to the industry. I will never forget this experience, and I feel truly blessed and thankful to have a part in all of this. Much thanks and love goes out to each and everyone of them, so all I have to say is: until next time, holky!